KILLSHOT // [H.S]

070. ELEANORA // PART 004

thank you so much for 300K <3

i hope you enjoy the conclusion to the doctor khan x romano story (there was about 10K added to this chapter for yall hehe)

if anyone has questions/wants to chat, I'll post the link to my curiouscat on twitter (@ normiesandwich). i will also be posting a complete list of ALL the easter eggs from these 4 chapters!

CHAPTER SONG: CASTLES CRUMBLING - TAYLOR SWIFT

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070. ELEANORA // PART 004

XI. AURORA

Ellie released a deep breath as she closed her eyes. In... and out... in... and out... the somewhat calming voice in her head coached. When she reopened her eyes, the tension in her chest felt less constricting, and the thoughts swarming her mind slightly ceased. All her problems weren't solved by a few deep breaths, but it was a sliver more manageable. At least for the time being, to get through finishing the rest of the dishes.

X

"What have you done?"

"W-what are you talking about?"

"Don't," his warning tone pierced through her facade. "You know exactly what the fuck I'm talking about." Stefano ran a hand over his face. "I told you to stay out of it."

"I-I did!"

"Non mentirmi!" Don't lie to me. "I'm going to ask you this one more time... What the fuck have you done?"

Ellie's lips parted to speak, but she didn't know what to say. She didn't know what he knew. She didn't know how honest she could be. All she could think of to say were lies – adding more hurt and deceit to the already long list. Forced into silence, her lack of response struck a nerve with the man standing before her.

And so, Ellie did the only thing she knew. She calculated all the possibilities with every response. Saying she did nothing wrong would be a lie – even if her intentions were good. Telling him partial truths could expose other things she did that Stefano didn't know. And admitting to all the things she had done behind his back would break the heart of the man she loved.

With no positive outcome in sight, Ellie broke the thick, uncomfortable silence with the reason she convinced herself to do all of this in the first place,

"I only wanted to help."

"Wanted to help?" he spat. "You wanted to fucking help, El? So that's what you call going behind my back and not telling me what you were doing?"